If you’re looking for a fun-loving, hardworking entrepreneur, Mandy Belcher is that woman. As the owner of two self-started businesses, she has made a name for herself in Aiken after only being here about three years. Mandy owns The Hippie Hostess, a bakery out of her home as well as Bubbles & Brawn a cleaning service she runs efficiently with a small staff.
Bags of fan favorite Unicorn Chow made by Mandy.
The Hippie Hostess
Much like Mandy, The Hippie Hostess is a funky and fun business with products to match. Mandy bakes a variety of products out of her home for a wide range of customers. Most popularly, she is known for her staple “cotton candy unicorn chow”. She also makes tie dye bagels, cotton candy cupcakes, giant cookie sandwiches, magical cookie bars, brookies and a variety of other baked goods upon request. She can even do allergy friendly goodies to accommodate practically any food intolerance. For any baked good order, customers usually put in their request a week prior. But Mandy can work with a days-notice if needed. She does anything from custom cakes, to a bag of unicorn chow.
As a self-taught baker Mandy has made it look easy. She says that baking is an art form, and it took time tweaking and adjusting recipes to find the ones she liked the best. Other than custom orders, Mandy sets up booths at a variety of markets around the Aiken area. She always posts the menu on her Facebook page about a week before the event so customers know what to expect when they visit. She’s looking to expand her business by the end of the summer and secure a bakery location in Aiken. She wants to hire on more employees and hopefully create a bakery/coffee shop vibe where people can hang out and enjoy something sweet. She even mentioned the possibility of a late-night cookie delivery service.
Bubbles & Brawn
Mandy wearing the Bubbles & Brawn uniform.
It’s not only baking for Mandy, she also has a cleaning business that she operates from her home. Bubbles and Brawn was started a cleaning service as a way to get her feet on the ground when she first moved to Aiken. Since it started it has proved itself as a stable business. Mandy first cleaned homes herself but in November of 2018 hired on two girls in that clean about three homes a day. The business relies on a majority of their clients from the NextDoor app, Facebook and word of mouth.
About Mandy
Mandy hasn’t always been a baker and home cleaner. She is originally from Ohio and from there she moved to Nashville. There, she spent 11 years as a personal trainer. Before that she worked in the food service industry at the Hard Rock Café and Rainforest Café. She ended up in Aiken after visiting a friend here and decided it was the perfect fit for her family. While she hasn’t always owned her own business, she says that entrepreneurship is in her blood. “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Mandy. Her favorite part about being an entrepreneur is that she gets to manage so many different things and every day is different. “I don’t want to retire and I want to create something that I can pass down to my kids,” said Mandy, “it’s my life and failing is not an option.”
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You can look out for Mandy on May Fourth at the Kite Festival at Generations Park in Aiken. Mandy will have her Hippie Hostess booth set up with a wide array of goodies. Mandy is also always at the Indie Arts Market. The market takes place on the third Saturday of every month at 616 Park Ave SE in Aiken. Also make sure to mark your calendars for the North Augusta Kid Jam on September 28th. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Riverview Park Activities Center.
For any events in between, make sure to check Mandy’s Facebook page “The Hippie Hostess” to stay on top of where she’ll be next. For any cleaning inquiries check out her page titled “Bubbles & Brawn Cleaning” on Facebook as well. Mandy is also actively seeking an investor for the bakery in Aiken. Anyone interested in investing in The Hippie Hostess can feel free to message Mandy on Facebook about a potential investing opportunity.
Facebook: @HippieHostess @BubblesandBrawn
